Apparatus for loading vessels



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. 0. SHEPHERD & L. 0. BALLARD. APPARATUS FOR LOADING VESSBLS.

No. 475,814. Patented May 31, 1892.

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- (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

11. 0. SHEPHERD & L. 0. BALLARD. APP ARATU S FORLOADING VESSELS.

No. 475,814. atented May 31, 1892.

NETED STATES ATENT rFIcE.

DAVID C. SHEPHERD AND LORING O. BALLARD, OF'GARDINER, MAINE.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,814, dated May 31,1892.

Application filed August 30, 1890. Serial No. 363,516. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID C. SHEPHERD and LORING O. BALLARD, ofGardiner, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Raising and Lowering Apparatus;

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to-which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in raising and loweringmachines, and more particularly to machines for loading ice and othermerchandise in the hold of vessels.

The object of the invention is to produce an apparatus, by means ofwhich ice, 850., may be easily and quickly lowered into the hold of avessel with the expenditure of a very small amount of labor on the partof the attendant.

A further object is to provide a raising and lowering machine with animproved arrangement of lowering ropes, counterbalanceweight, and rope.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, ashereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of themachine. Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the devices employed forelevating the platform. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the raising andlowering apparatus. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. at isa View on the line y y of Fig. 1.

A represents the lowering apparatus proper; B, the frame, which carriesthe counter-weight for returning the lowering platform, as hereinafterexplained, and O the chute or way for connecting the lowering apparatusA and the frame B.

The frame of the lowering apparatus comprises two lower longitudinaltimbers a, four uprights 1), upper longitudinal timbers 0, crossbars d,and suitable bracing-timbers c, the lower longitudinal timbers a beingextended rearwardly beyond the uprights l) and provided with a platformf for the accommodation of an attendant.

Mounted in suit-able journal-boxes located centrally on the upperlongitudinal timbers c is a roller or drum D, having a ratchet-wheel Dat one end thereof, with which a dog D on the frame is adapted to engageto prevent the drum from unwinding at an improper time.

On one end of the shaft of the drum D is a friction-wheel E, over whicha band E is passed, one end of said band beingsecured to a pin orprojection on the frame orupper lon gitudinal timber c and the other endto a lever F, which latter is pivotally connected to the f rame-work andprovided with a rearwardly extending handle g, by means of which tomanipulate the brake thus formed.

\Vound upon the roller or drum D is a series ofropes 1 1, 2 2, 3, theropes 1 1 being wound upon the drum in one direction and the ropes 2 2being wound thereon in the reverse direction, so that when the drum isrotated all the ropes will be unwound in unison, the rope 3 beingconnected with a weight, as presently explained. The ropes 1 1 and 2 2pass through sheave-blocks 6. The blocks 6 are made of iron with steelpins, having a swivel and eye '7 to hook into an iron hook 8 oncross-bars (Z. To prevent the ropes from friding on the drum D, theseblocks must be light, and the swivel allows them to swing in winding andunwinding in a line with the ropes 011 the drum when turning quickly,and the ropes will be made to coil on the drum just right to preventwear. To the free ends of the ropes 1 1 and 2 2 are :chains 4: 4E and 55, which in turn are connected with the corners of aplatform G, on whichthe materials to be lowered or raised are placed. This platform G islimited in its upward movement by means of guides h, secured to thelower longitudinal timbers a a, so that when the platform G is in itsnormal position it will align with the door of the chute or way 0. Thischute or way (J is composed of two longitudinal timbers e i, which areplaced in an inclined position, and a l'loorj, which latter consists ofa series of cross-bars 7.3, on which a series of longitudinal bars 7care located, and intermediate filling-boards k Secured in thelongitudinal bars are rods It, having convex upper surfaces on which theice or other material will freely slide. The

uprights Z) of the main frame at the point where the chute or wayconnects with said frame are provided on their inner sides with guidesZ, adapted to produce ways for the ends of a sliding gate H, havinghooks H, secured to its rear face. A rod H connectsthe chains 4 4 and.is adapted, when the platform G is raised to its normal position, toengage the hooks H and raise the gate H. It will also be seen from thisconstruction that when the platform G is lowered the rod H will movedownwardly with the chains 4 4, and thus automatically close the gate Gand shut off the supply of ice or other material from the platform.\Vheu ice or other material is placed on the forward end of the chute orway U, which is on the wharf, it will slide down the chute and onto theplatform G, being guided from the chute to the platform by means ofinwardly-projecting guides on on the longitudinal timbers i t. The iceor other material will be prevented from moving too far on the platformG by means of a hunter 0, secured to the main frame of the machine. Thisbun ter is preferably made of oak, and is composed of two parallel barsat n and connecting-pieces n.

Located on the wharf at a point near the forward end of the chute O isthe frame or stand B on which is a roller 1', and on this roller thefree end of the rope 3 is wound. At one end of the roller 1' two guidesproject downwardly from the cross-bar of frame B,

and are adapted to receive between them and form guides for acounterweight-box J.

Journaled in suitable brackets in the top of the weight-box J is apulley J for the accommodation of a rope K, one end of which rope issecured to and adapted to be coiled upon the roller 1', while the otherend, after passing over a pulley J on the frame, is secured to saidframe 13. From this construction it will be seen that when the platformG is loaded with ice or other material and allowed to lower (beingregulated by the abovedescribed frictiolrbrake) the rope 3 will windupon the drum D and unwind from the roller 1. At the same time the ropeK will wind upon the roller I and thus raise the weight-l ple anddurable, is easy to manipulate and effective in operation.

Slight changes might be made in the details of construction ofourinvention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope. Hence we do not wish to restrict ourselves to the precise detailsof construction herein set forth; but,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a frame, a drum mounted thereon at the topthereof, and pulleys, one located at or near each corner of the frame,of a rope for each pulley, the several ropes being attached to the drum,so as to wind thereon simultaneously, a platform connected to the freeends of said ropes, means connected to said drum for turning same towind all the ropes thereon, a chute, and a gate located between thechute and platform, the said gate adapted to beautomaticallyactuated toclose the end of the chute when the platform is lowered, substan: tiallyas set forth.

2. The combination, with a frame, of a drum journaled thereon, ropeswound around said drum, a platform supported by said ropes, a huntercarried by said frame, a chute, and a vertically-moving gate supportedat its ends in guides and automatically actuated by theplatform-supporting ropes for regulating the feed of material from thechute to the platform, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a frame, pulleys located at or near the fourcorners thereof, and a drum mounted on said frame, of ropes secured tothe drum, each rope passing over a pulley, a platform secured to thefree ends of the ropes, a vertically-movable gate having devices adaptedto be engaged by a device carried by two of the platform-supportingropes, whereby the gate is elevated and lowered, a frame carrying aroller, a rope wound on said roller and drum and so arranged that whenit unwinds from the drum it turns the latter in a direction to Wind theplatform -supporting ropes thereon, and a weighted rope wound aroundsaid roller, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID C. SHEPHERD. LORING O. BALLARD. \Vitnesses:

JAMEs J. WARD, WARREN W. SEAVEY.

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